Africa History Truth

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Africa: The Passing of the Golden Ages

By John Henrik Clarke (May 1988

1! The early "eginnings

It can be said with a strong degree of certainty that Africa has had three GoldenAges. The rst two reached their climax and were in decline before Europe as a

functioning entity in human society was born. Africa's rst Golden Age began at the

beginning—with the birth of man and the deelopment of organi!ed societies. It is

general conceded in most scholarly circles that man"ind originated in Africa# this

ma"es the African man the father and the African woman the mother of man"ind

In his boo" The Progress and Evolution of Man in Africa$ %r. &..(. &ea"ey states

that)

In eery country that one isits and where one is drawn into a conersation about

Africa$ the *uestion is regularly as"ed$ by people who should "now better) +(ut whathas Africa contributed to world progress,+ The critics of Africa forget that men of

science today$ with few exceptions$ are satised that Africa was the birthplace of

man himself$ and that for many hundreds of centuries thereafter$ Africa was in the

forefront of all human progress.

In the early deelopment of man$ the family was the most important unit in

existence. Through the years the importance of this unit has not changed. The rst

human societies were deeloped for reasons relating to the needs and surial of

the family. The early African had to ma"e hoo"s to catch sh$ spears to hunt with$

and "nies. -e searched for new ways of building shelter$ gathering and raising

food$ and domesticating animals. ur use of re today simply continues the process

started by the early Africans—the control of re. In the ma"ing of tools that sets

man apart from all liing creatures$ Africans started man along the tool/ma"ing

path.

0ith the discoery of metals and how to use them all Africa too" a great leap

forward. 1an had learned how to ta"e iron from the ground and turn it into spears

and tools. Iron cultures spread rapidly across Africa and there were ery few parts of

Africa that were not in2uenced by these Iron Age cultures. Iron cultures had their

greatest deelopment in the area of Africa that is now the Eastern udan$ in the

great city/state of 1eroe. The use of iron accelerated eery aspect of African

deelopment and introduced a new danger—the eentual use of iron weapons in

warfare.

#! The $ile %alley Ci&ili'ation The )ise

The 3ile 4ier became a great cultural highway$ bringing peoples and cultures out

of inner Africa. These migrations by rier led to the establishment of one of the

greatest nations in world history—Egypt. In his boo" The Destruction of Black


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Civilization: Great Issues of a Race fro !"## B$C$ to %### A$D$$ the Afro/American

historian 5hancellor 0illiams refers to Egypt as +Ethiopia's oldest daughter$+ and

calls attention to the eidence to proe the southern African origin of early Egyptian

people and their ciili!ation.

Egypt rst became an organi!ed nation about 6777 (.5. 1edical interest centersupon a period in the Third %ynasty 89:;9$ when Egypt had an ambitious

pharaoh named ?aser. ?aser$ in turn had for his chief counselor and minister a

brilliant commoner named Imhotep 8whose name means +-e who cometh in

peace+>. Imhotep constructed the famous step pyramid of a""arah near 1emphis.

The building methods used in the construction of this pyramid reolutioni!ed the

architecture of the ancient world.

Egypt gae the world some of the greatest personalities in the history of man"ind.

In this regard$ Imhotep is singularly outstanding. In the ancient history of Egypt$ no

indiidual left a deeper impression than the commoner Imhotep. -e was the world's

rst multi/genius. -e was also the real father of medicine. In his boo"$ Evolution ofModern Medicine 8&ondon$ @B@$ . @7>$ ir 0illiam sler refers to Imhotep as +the

rst gure of a physician to stand out clearly from the mists of anti*uity.+

The period in Egyptian history from the Third %ynasty to the rst inasion of Egypt

by the -y"sas$ of hepherd Cings$ in @=77 (.5. is$ in my opinion$ the apex of the

rst Golden Age. The 0estern Asian domination oer Egypt lasted about one

hundred and twenty years and was ended by the rise of Egyptian nationalism during

the eenteenth %ynasty. %uring this period the pharaohs 8or "ings> at Thebes

consolidated their powers and began a united campaign to rid &ower Egypt of

-y"sas inaders. 0hen the inaders from 0estern Asia were nally drien out by

the Dharaoh$ Ahmose I$ the splendid Eighteenth %ynasty was established andEgypt's second Golden Age began. Egypt's Golden Age did not belong to Egypt

alone but included nations in Africa$ mainly Cush and Ethiopia 8which at certain

periods in history were one and the same.> These nations farther to the south were

the originators of the early culture of Egypt. Egypt at this uncture in history was no

longer dependent on her cultural parents and was$ once more$ the most deeloped

nation in the world.

*! The $ile %alley Ci&ili'ation The Glory

Again rulers of monumental status were coming to power. Two of the best "nown

rulers of this period were Fueen -atsheput and her brother Thothmes III. Great

temples were built throughout the country$ and the conse*uent employment of

hundreds of artist and craftsmen prepared the way for the artistic glories$ which

were still to come.


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%uring the reign of Thothmes III$ the in2uence of Egypt was once more extended to

0estern Asia$ now referred to as the 1iddle East. The age of grandeur continued.

This age had a dramatic and lasting change in @:6 (.5. ome time around @:6

(.5.$ Fueen Tiy of Egypt gae birth to a boy who was rst named Amenhates after

his father. Hery little is "nown of his childhood except that he was sic"ly from birth

and deeloped an interest in art$ poetry$ and religion. -is closest companion wassaid to be 3efertiti$ the beautiful little cousin. 8ome archaeologists hae referred to

her as his sister.>

0hen the 5rown Drince was about B@$ he and the loely 3efertiti were married.

Three years later$ his aging father$ Amenhotep III$ 3amed him co/regent of Egypt

and crowned him Amenhotep IH. After the death of his father$ he came into full

power in Egypt and too" the name A"henaton. -e produced a profound eect on

Egypt and the entire world of his day.

A"henaton$ often referred to as +The -eretic Cing$+ is one of history's most

extraordinary monarchs. Thirteen hundred years before 5hrist he preached andlied a gospel of loe$ brotherhood$ and truth. -e has been called the world's rst

idealist$ the rst temporal ruler eer to lead his people toward the worship of a

single God.

0hen A"henaton came to the throne more than :$777 years ago$ Egypt dominated

the world.

Egypt's Golden Age gradually waned and the pride and splendor that had mar"ed

the Eighteenth and 3ineteenth %ynasties gae way to internal strife and confusion.

0ars of con*uest and coloni!ation had drained much of her military and economic

strength. In the meantime$ as the nations to the south grew more powerful$ theybecame predatory toward Egypt$ which had once been their master.

The nation that is now called Ethiopia came bac" upon the center stage of history

around 77 (.5. It was then represented by a *ueen who in some boo"s is referred

to as 1a"eda$ and in others as (el"is. he is better "nown to the world as the

Fueen of heba. In his boo"$ &orld's Great Men of Color $ J.A. 4ogers gies this

description) +ut of the mists of three thousand years emerges this beautiful loe

story of a blac" *ueen$ who$ attracted by the fame of a Judean monarch$ made a

long ourney to see him. K+

In Ethio(ia) A Cultural *istor+ $ ylia Dan"hurst tells the story of this ourney)

The history of the Fueen of the outh$ who undertoo" a long and arduous ourney to

Jerusalem$ in order to learn of the wisdom of Cing olomon$ is deeply cherished in

Ethiopia$ as part of the national heritage$ for she is claimed as an Ethiopian Fueen$

1a"eda$ +a woman of splendid beauty$+ who introduced the religion and culture of

Israel to her own land.+


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(y the tenth and ninth centuries (.5.$ Egypt had been wea"ened by outside attac"s

and by bitter disputes between its priests and the royal families. This had allowed

the Cushites to the south to gain a measure of independence. They now had the

condence to moe northward and con*uer their former masters. In spite of the war

of con*uest$ these Cushite 8or Ethiopian> "ings brought Egypt her last age of

grandeur and social reform. There is a need to ma"e a serious study of this act ofinternal African colonialism and what it achieed at the end of the Golden Age for

both Egypt and Cush.

These Cushite "ings restored the declining culture and economy of Egypt and too"

this nation to unprecedented heights of leadership in the way it cared for its people.

Though a colony$ Egypt was once more a world power.

+! The $ile %alley Ci&ili'ations The ,ecline

The Assyrian inasion of =@ (.5. droe the Cushite forces to the south and began

the harshness and misrule that destroyed the grandeur that once was Egypt. Egypt

continued to decline while a young nation on the other side of the 1editerranean—

Greece—began to gather$ its power around 977 (.5. In the year ::B (.5. Alexander

the Great$ a student of Aristotle$ inaded Egypt. This was the rst purely European

inasion of Africa. The aftermath of this inasion$ and the new European interest in

dominating the trade of the 1editerranean world$ led to the Dunic 0ars and the

inasion by the 4omans.

In Egypt a strong and shrewd young girl tried to deal with the plight of her country

under the threat of 4oman domination. -er name was 5leopatra.

1ore nonsense has been written about 5leopatra than about any other African

*ueen$ mainly because it has been the desire of many writers to paint her white.

he was not a white woman$ she was not a Gree". &et us dispose of this matter

before explaining the more important aspects of her life. Lntil the emergence of the

doctrine of white superiority$ 5leopatra was generally pictured as a distinctly African

woman$ dar" in color. ha"espeare in the opining line of +Anthony and 5leopatra+

calls her +tawny.+ In his day$ mulattos were called +tawny 1oors.+ The word +1oor+

came into the European languages meaning blac" or blac"amoor. In the Book of

Acts$ 5leopatra describes herself as +blac".+

(orn in 6 (.5.$ 5leopatra came to the throne that she shared with her brother$

Dtolemy MIII$ when she was @ years old. Egypt$ now a 4oman protectorate$ was

beset with internal strife and intrigue. 5leopatra aligned herself with Julius 5aesar$

who reinforced her power. Their political and sexual relationship was a maneuer to

sae Egypt from the worst aspects of 4oman domination. After Julius 5aesar was

murdered$ 5leopatra$ still in her early twenties$ met 1ar" Anthony and a loe aair

strongly motiated by politics began.


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-er eect on 1ar" Anthony was profound. This noble 4oman turned traitor to his

own people when he attempted to sae the country of this fascinating blac" *ueen

from 4oman domination. After Anthony's death$ the ictor$ ctaius$ assumed full

control of Egypt$ and 5leopatra$ now without a protector or champion$ committed

suicide.

After 5leopatra's death$ Egypt became a 4oman colony and the harsher aspects of

4oman rule settled oer Egypt and the 1iddle East. To the south$ in the lands

untouched by 4ome$ new proud ciili!ations were rising. And in the centuries that

followed$ blac" women once again began to play maor roles in the theatre of

history.

&ights of achieement did shine in other parts of Africa$ though the second Golden

Age was oer.

The more ruthless aspects of 4oman rule made African and 1iddle Eastern people

*uestion old gods and search for new ones. This led to the deelopment of

5hristianity and subse*uently Islam. Nrom the beginning these were religions of the

oppressed.

0hen the oppressor$ the 4omans$ stopped "illing 5hristians and became +5hristian+

the religion was dramatically changed. Their misuse of this religion and widespread

dissatisfaction in the 4oman colonies of 3orth Africa and the 1iddle East facilitated

the rise of Islam.

-! The Ci&ili'ations of the .estern /0dan Ghana

In the sixth and seenth centuries A.%. 4oman rule began to lose its hold on 3orth

Africa and the 1iddle East. African genius for state building and for bringing new

societies into being was reborn in the 0estern udan 8inner 0est Africa>$ where the

third and last African Golden Age began.

The rst of the great empires of the 0estern udan to become "nown to the outside

world was Ghana. It began as a small settlement during the second century of the

5hristian era. It would later deelop into a state with a "nown history of more than a

thousand years. In Europe and in the Arab countries$ Ghana was "nown as a country

rich in gold. This was a natural attraction for the Arabs and later the Europeans. The

country reached the height of its greatness during the reign of Ten"amenin$ one ofits greatest "ings$ who came to power in @76B A.%. The "ing lied in a palace of

stone and wood which was built to be defended in time of war. The Empire was well

organi!ed. The political progress and social well being of its people could be

faorably compared to the best "ingdoms and empires that preailed in Europe at

this time. The country had a military force of B77$777 men.


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In one of a number of holy wars$ or Jihads$ Ghana was inaded by the Almaraides

under the leadership of Abu (e"r of the osso Empire in @7=6 A.%. This con*uest

brought as end to Ghana's age of prosperity and cultural deelopment. The

character of the country was slow to change. 3early a hundred years later the Arab

writer$ El Idrisi wrote of it as being said) +Ghana K is the most commercial of the

blac" countries. It is isited by rich merchants from all the surrounding countriesand from the extremities of the 0est.+

In @7= the country regained its independence$ without regaining its old strength$

state organi!ation$ and grandeur. The ruins of the Empire of Ghana became the

Cingdoms of %iara and osso. The proinces of Ghana became a part of the 1ali

Empire and were later absorbed into the onghai Empire.

The great drama of state building$ trade and commerce$ and power bro"erage

unfolded at Timbuctoo$ the *ueen city of the 0estern udan.

Two hundred miles down the 3iger from Timbuctoo the competing city of Gao stood.

It was founded about the seenty century and was the capital of the large blac"

empire of onghai. &i"e Timbuctoo$ it was in a faorable position for the Trans/

aharan trade$ in the days of the regular caraans from 3orth Africa. &i"e Timbu"tu$

the greatest days of Gao came in the fteenth and sixteenth centuries

In the years when Timbuctoo was the great intellectual nucleus of the onghai

Empire$ African scholars were enoying a renaissance that was "nown and respected

through most of Africa and in parts of Europe. At this period in African history the

Lniersity of an"ore was the educational capital of the 0estern udan. In his

boo"$ Ti,uctoo the M+sterious$ Nilix %e(ois gies us the following picture)

The scholars of Timbuctoo yielded in nothing to the saints and their soourns in the

foreign uniersities of Ne!$ Tunis and 5airo. They astounded the most learned men of

Islam by their erudition. That these 3egroes were on a leel with the Arabian

saants is proed by the fact that they were installed as professors in 1orocco and

Egypt. In contrast to this$ we nd that the Arabs were not always e*ual to the

re*uirements of an"ore.

! The Ci&ili'ations of the .estern /0dan Mali

The famous Emperor of 1ali$ 1anca 1ussa$ stopped at Timbuctoo on his pilgrimageto 1ecca in @:B;. -e went in regal splendor with an entourage of 67$777 persons$

including @B$777 serants. Nie hundred bondsmen$ each of whom carried a sta of

pure gold$ marched in front of the Emperor. Two hundred eighty camels bore B;77

pounds of gold which this African monarch distributed as alms and gifts. 1ussa

returned from 1ecca with an architect who designed imposing buildings in

Timbuctoo and other parts of his realm.


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To the outside world$ of the late medieal period$ the Emperor 1anca 1ussa was

more than an indiidual. -e was Africa. -e con*uered the onghai Empire and

rebuilt the Lniersity of an"ore. -e gured$ by name$ on eery map. In his lifetime

he became in person the symbol of the mystery and of the fabulous wealth of the

un"nown African continent. -e was the most colorful of the blac" "ings of the

fourteenth century. -e still held this position nearly two centuries after his death.

2! The Ci&ili'ations of the .estern /0dan /onghai

After the death of 1anca 1ussa$ the Empire of 1ali declined in importance. Its place

was ta"en by onghai$ whose greatest "ing was As"ia the Great 81ohammed Toure>.

As"ia came to power in @;:$ one year after 5olumbus discoered America. -e

consolidated the territory con*uered by the preious ruler onni Ali and built

onghai into the most powerful state in the 0estern udan. -is realm$ it is said$ was

larger than all Europe.

The German writer$ -enry (arth $ in his famous wor" Travels and Discoveries in

-orth and Central Africa$ calls As"ia the Great +one of the most brilliant and

enlightened administrators of all times.+ -e reorgani!ed the army of onghai$

improed the system of ban"ing and credit$ and made the city/states of Gao$ 0alta$

Timbuctoo$ and Jenne into intellectual centers. Timbuctoo during his reign$ was a

city of more than @77$777 people$ +people lled to the top$+ says a chronicler of that

time$ +with gold and da!!ling women.+

As"ia encouraged scholarship and literature. tudents from all oer the 1oslem

world came to Timbuctoo to study grammar$ law$ and surgery at the Lniersity of

an"ore# scholars came from 3orth Africa and Europe to confer with learned

historians and writers of this blac" empire. A udanese literature deeloped and

many boo"s were written. &eo Africanus$ who wrote one of the best "nown wor"s on

the 0estern udan$ says) +In Timbuctoo there are numerous udges$ doctors$ and

clerics$ all receiing good salaries from the "ing. -e pays great respect to men of

learning. There is a big demand for boo"s in manuscript$ imported from (arbary

83orth Africa>. 1ore prot is made from the boo" trade than from any other line of

business.+

As"ia has been hailed as one of the wisest monarch of the 1iddle Ages. Alexander

5hamberlain$ in his boo"$ The Contri,ution of the -egro to *uan Civilization$ saysof him) +In personal character$ in administratie ability$ in deotion to the welfare of

his subects$ in open/mindedness towards foreign in2uences$ and in wisdom in the

adoption of enlightened ideas and institutions from abroad$ Cing As"ia was certainly

the e*ual of the aerage European monarch of the time and superior to many of

them.+


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8! The Ci&ili'ations of the .estern /0dan The ,ecline

After the death of As"ia the Great in @9:$ the onghai Empire began to lose its

strength and its control oer its ast territory. 0hen the onghai Empire collapsed

after the capture of Timbuctoo and Gao by the 1oroccans in @9@$ the whole of the

0estern udan was deastated by the inading troops. The ultan of 1orocco$ El/1ansur$ had sent a large army with European rearms across the ahara to attac"

the once powerful empire of onghai. The army did not reach Timbuctoo until @9@.

The prosperous city of Timbuctoo was plundered by the army of freebooters. A state

of anarchy preailed. The Lniersity of an"ore$ which had stood for oer e

hundred years$ was destroyed and the faculty exiled to 1orocco. The greatest

udanese scholar of that day$ Ahmed (aba$ was among those exiled. (aba was a

scholar of great depth and inspiration. -e was the author of more than forty boo"s

on such dierse themes as theology$ astronomy$ ethnography$ and biography. -is

rich library of @677 boo"s was lost during his expatriation from Timbuctoo.

Timbuctoo proides the most terrible example of the struggles of the 0est Africanstates and towns as they stroe to presere what was once their Golden Age. The

Arabs$ (erbers and Tuaregs from the north showed them no mercy. Timbuctoo had

preiously been sac"ed by the Tuaregs as early as @;:: and they had occupied it for

thirty years. (etween @9@ and @9:$ the Tuaregs had already ta"en adantage of

the situation to plunder Timbuctoo once more. (etween @=B: and @=B6 the Tuaregs

once more occupied and looted Timbuctoo. Thus Timbuctoo$ once the Fueen 5ity of

the 0estern udan$ with more than two hundred thousand inhabitants and the

center of a powerful state$ degenerated into a shadow of its former stature.

3ow$ 0est Africa entered a sad period of decline. %uring the 1oorish occupation

wrec" and ruin became the order of the day. 0hen the Europeans arried in thispart of Africa and saw these conditions they assumed that nothing of order and

alue had existed in these countries. This mista"en impression$ too often repeated$

has in2uenced the interpretation of African and Afro/American life in history for oer

four hundred years.

John Henrik Clarke %irt0al M0se03 4 5)6$Tal %ie7

$B5 Ho3eage 4 ,0Bois earning Center Ho3eage

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